


Sacrifice

by SkiaWolf



Series: SorMik Week 2017 [3]
Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Chronic Illness, M/M, Terminal Illnesses, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 22:42:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11610474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkiaWolf/pseuds/SkiaWolf
Summary: Just how much would one boy give in order to save the one he loved?





	Sacrifice

**Author's Note:**

> Cute and sweet university AU? Let's move on to something sadder for Loss/Protection. Enjoy!

You would have never believed that Sorey had been suffering for years after years.

Despite the fact that he had been ill from childhood, Sorey had still always managed to be energetic and never once remove his bright smile. He even participated in sport, saying that he knew how he would end up feeling better eventually, and that the fun was worth any extra pain.

He said that even if he wasn't as well as others, he was still lucky to have his life. It was a life which he said he would never take for granted, for he suffered much less than other people in the world. In fact, it was probably his childhood friend Mikleo who was the most upset over Sorey's illness.

They had been friends ever since nursery, this friendship soon blossoming into romance during their teen years. They weren't sure exactly when it had happened; suddenly, it seemed as though feelings for each other had simply existed for years, yet were only noticed as these years went on. It was a rather casual statement from Sorey which brought them together. He simply said that it was already like they were together, so why not be so officially?

Sorey had never seemed to shine brighter as this relationship began. He said that he had never been in less pain before. In fact, he rarely noticed it. He said that Mikleo was the sun which made everything shine for him; Mikleo had rolled his eyes in response, yet silently, he was thinking about how he was certain that it was the other way around. That smile did seem to cast away any storm.

Yet some storms were not to be avoided. No one had ever worried that Sorey would be threatened by his health; whilst incurable, his illness had never been dangerous. However, it all changed once they reached eighteen. Mikleo would never forget the time when Sorey had taken both of his hands, never looking more serious in his life.

“ _They've found a tumour,”_ he had said to him. _“More than one, actually. They don't think I'll live longer than a year.”_

How Sorey had spoken those words without crying, Mikleo would never know. Though perhaps he _had_ cried without Mikleo realising; after all, his head had fallen against Sorey's chest, murmuring words about how this couldn't have been true, that a year was far too little, that they still had so much to do together. It was entirely possible that in this moment, Sorey had been crying silently.

Sorey had continued to surprise Mikleo from this day forward. He remained as strong as ever, wanting to make the most of his life. He raised money for charity, spoke about his positive way of life online to inspire others in his situation. Not only that, but he also surpassed the doctor's belief that he would live no more than a year.

“ _Guess I've got some of your stubbornness,”_ he had grinned at Mikleo. Yet it was hard to return this grin; Sorey was clearly beginning to struggle more than ever. But his smile never faded, not even when he was one day confined to a hospital bed.

It just seemed like a new step in his life. He said that he knew there were people in this hospital who weren't lucky enough to have people visit them. They were lonely, nothing giving them strength to fight. Not like Sorey. He had exceeded the expectations of doctors, and even as he grew sicker, coughing furiously as he spoke to his visitors, he still felt as though he was lucky.

Mikleo had no idea how Sorey could be like this. He couldn't help but feel as though this positive attitude was something which Sorey couldn't maintain whilst he was alone. Mikleo never liked the thought of Sorey being alone, and soon enough, the smile he forced through his pain was breaking Mikleo immensely.

He felt useless as he watched his boyfriend, his best friend of many years, grow weaker, death edging nearer. Sorey had always told him that merely the support he gave was enough; that alone gave Sorey strength. Even if this was the truth, Mikleo still felt as though it wasn't ever enough. All he wanted was a chance to give Sorey life. He deserved that much.

Yet he would have never actually expected to be given this chance.

It had occurred on a night when everyone was certain that Sorey definitely couldn't push through for much longer. With a face which was covered in drying tears, Mikleo fell asleep as soon as he had collapsed on his bed, drained from the emotional agony of seeing his dying lover. When his eyes opened, it was in his sleep, a beautiful world unlike he had ever seen before laid out in front of him.

Bright blades of grass danced in the wind under his feet, seeming as though they stretched out for miles under a clear, beautiful sunrise speckled with blue, pink and yellow. There was no sound except for a gentle breeze rustling the grass around him. He knew he was dreaming, yet this world felt strangely real, despite how it seemed to glow unnaturally.

Then a voice spoke; it would have perhaps startled him if it wasn't so soft.

“I am sorry for the pain you've been through.”

Mikleo turned to face whoever this voice belonged to, eyes widening as they fell on a woman in front of him. She had an ethereal beauty; never had he seen eyes like hers, or strands of hair so long. Her dress was wonderfully intricate as well, yet the biggest surprise was the pure white wings stretched out either side of her.

“Am I dead?” Mikleo ended up asking, feeling rather stupid for saying so. The place just seemed so heavenly that he genuinely thought he might have been in the afterlife. However, the woman had apparently expected this question, shaking her head with a reassuring smile.

“I only took control of your dreams, that's all.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I have been able to offer you a deal.”

“A deal?” Mikleo blinked, having not expected that answer. “So you're … real?”

“I know it is hard to believe.”

Mikleo shook his head. “Sorey and I have always …” Saying Sorey's name made his speech stop abruptly, teeth biting down on his lip. The angel's eyes bore pain from seeing this.

“Yes, I know of Sorey. The love you two share is much greater than you can imagine, powerful enough for all kinds of possibilities … yet I am deeply sorry for what Sorey faces.”

“No possibilities from that are enough,” Mikleo said quietly. “I – I have supported him all of our lives. But there's only so much I can do.”

The woman hesitated. “The reason I'm here is because there is one thing that you have the power to do.”

Mikleo's head, which had lowered in his anguish, shot up. “What do you mean?”

“It … it is asking a lot. I was very hesitant to come here.”

“If there is anything I can do, anything at all, please tell me.”

The woman looked at him seriously, her eyebrows furrowed. “It is a very large choice, one which may be difficult.”

“Please,” Mikleo said desperately. “If there's anything I can do for him, tell me.”

“What you two hold is stronger than anything humans can truly comprehend,” she began. “Love, memories – they aren't just an enjoyment. They are a commitment which the two of you have protected with all of your might. It has formed something incredible between the two of you, a bond stronger than anything physical. This bond is something you can use to save him.”

“But how? It's not physical, so how can it do anything about this?”

“With my help, it _can_ be of use. If you make an exchange with me, I can erase Sorey's illness and allow him to live a joyful and fulfilled life. But it is a major sacrifice, one which is incredibly hard to bear.” She hesitated, running a tongue over her lips. “In order for me to acquire the power to save Sorey, I need something just as powerful in return. You will have to give up his memories and love of you.”

Mikleo froze as the words sunk in. “So … I'd save him, but we …”

“Just he would forget you,” she responded quietly. “To save him, you need the noblest and bravest of sacrifices. If your own love and memories remain, it will only make this deal grow stronger.”

“I … don't know if I could live with this,” he whispered.

“That is entirely understandable. It would also mean everyone else forgets what you two had. It would be very lonely, and very distressing. It is up to you to decide whether you are willing to live with that for his survival.”

Mikleo wasn't sure how long he had been stood there, thinking carefully over Lailah's words. He wasn't sure how much he could cope with that life – after all, Sorey had always been there. How could he have all of that be erased?

Yet he remembered all of the years Sorey suffered, how he was dying at just nineteen … it wasn't fair. Sorey deserved the whole world, yet it was being taken away from him.

“If I did this,” Mikleo said slowly, “would Sorey no longer be in pain? Would everything be cured?”

“That is right. He would be healthier than he has ever been.”

“And could we meet again?”

“If that is what fate decides. But if his love for you has been erased, there is a chance it could never form again. He might not see you as he did before, perhaps not even like he did when you were best friends.”

Mikleo contemplated this. Was he willing to sacrifice what meant everything to him? Was it really something he could bear to do?

Yes. He realised that it was the only answer. Sorey deserved to suffer no longer, to be a victim to fate's cruel clutches. He deserved to be free. It didn't matter what happened to Mikleo in order for that to come true.

And so, he nodded his head. “I'll do it.”

The woman seemed surprised over his quick conclusion.“A-Are you sure? This is a very large sacrifice, if you need more time –”

His head was now shaking. “I don't need more time. I would do anything for him.”

The woman smiled sadly, eyes bearing into his as she placed a hand down on his shoulder gently. “You are very strong, Mikleo,” she said softly. “More than you could ever imagine.”

The world around him seemed to fade; along with it, so did the memories in which he existed, falling away from him just as Sorey's life would have done.

 

* * *

 

 

Mikleo could hardly believe that it had worked.

He quietly crept through the hospital the following day, carefully peering around the doorway. Sorey was chatting happily with his grandfather, the biggest smile Mikleo had seen in a long time lighting up his face. He could hear the talk of a doctor and nurse nearby, saying that it could only be a miracle; at this rate, Sorey would recover and leave as though nothing had ever happened, even though he should have already been dead.

It was wonderful. Sorey was alive, even healthy – yet Mikleo felt utter despair along with his joy, for when Sorey had glanced up and noticed Mikleo, who was soon to hurry away, there was no recognition there. His eyes were confused with no idea about who the boy was. As Mikleo knew would happen yet couldn't have possibly braced himself properly for, Sorey had no memory of him.

He left the hospital with silent tears falling from his eyes, knowing that he couldn't meet Sorey again, at least not for now. There was no possible way he could speak to someone who he knew inside and out, yet had nothing known about himself.

His own memories were something he wasn't sure he would give up in order to move on. Perhaps forgetting them would help him to be stronger, not constantly think of times which had been lost. Yet they were too precious to him to let go. He felt as though he had little strength left, and the fact that he still remembered Sorey caused a strange combination of feeling strong enough to want to hold on to his old memories and happiness, yet feeling as though they also made him weaker.

Perhaps one day, Mikleo would try to speak to him again. Perhaps, even if their old bond couldn't be reformed, they could at least be friends. With each day causing Mikleo to miss Sorey further, he was left wondering if any kind of closeness to Sorey would help him.

Even with these conflicting emotions, he was certain he didn't regret his choice. After all, when he managed to spot Sorey's face in the street, laughing and entirely free of pain and sadness, Mikleo realised why he had made his decision. All he wanted was for Sorey to have the freedom he deserved, and that is what he had received. Even if seeing Sorey hold the hand of another, matching rings soon to be on their fingers, hurt Mikleo more than anything had ever done so before, he still didn't regret anything.

Sorey deserved the chance to love, even if it had meant Mikleo sacrificing theirs. Strangely, Mikleo would never be ungrateful for this opportunity which had caused his heart to break. He would have it broken a thousand times over if it meant that Sorey's would be healed.


End file.
